Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with influenza vaccines.
Influenza viral illness, like many other microbial diseases can be prevented through vaccination. However, vaccine development against infectious diseases such as influenza is often a challenge because multiple serotypes, subtypes, and strains exist. Furthermore, new strains, including potentially pandemic strains are continuously emerging. Thus, simple monovalent vaccine formulations for these pathogens and their derivatives are not sufficient for long-term control. Development of multivalent formulations for broad-range reactivity and protection is crucial.
In one example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,993,652, issued to Neirynck, et al., is directed to immunoprotective influenza antigen and its use in vaccination. Briefly, these inventors teach an influenza antigen that includes a fusion product with at least the extracellular part of a conserved influenza membrane protein or a functional fragment thereof and a presenting carrier, which may be a presenting (poly)peptide or a non-peptidic structure, such as glycans, peptide mimetics, or synthetic polymers. The invention is said to be a vaccine against influenza that includes at least an antigen of the invention, optionally in the presence of one or more excipients. Finally, the invention is also said to include the use of the antigen in a method for preparing the antigen and acceptor cells expressing the antigen.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,914,797, issued to Arnon, et al., and is directed to an influenza vaccine, specifically, influenza vaccines for human and veterinary use. More particularly, the invention is said to provide a vaccine capable of long term and cross-strain protection by including at least two influenza virus epitopes expressed as a chimeric polypeptide wherein at least one epitope is influenza A virus matrix protein epitope and the second epitope is a hemagglutinin peptide epitope.